He Ain't That Bad, Really
by The-Napoleon-Of-Crime
Summary: A look at Bill and Nancy's relationship from their first ever meeting to the day the two of them met Oliver. Surely Bill Sikes wasn't always the cold hearted man he appears to be in public?
1. Chapter 1

Title- He Ain't That Bad, Really

Summary- A look at Bill and Nancy's relationship from their first ever meeting to the day the two of them met Oliver. Surely Bill Sikes wasn't always the cold hearted man he appears to be in public?

Rating- T

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

AN/ Running on the implications that Nancy also worked as a prostitute, just to be clear.

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"Hold 'er still! A whore that thinks she can pick and choose? You must be jokin'!"

Nancy screamed as loud as she could from beneath the hand that was clasped firmly around her mouth, struggling in the arms of the man that had her pinned back against the wall in a darkened alley beside one of her local pubs. The man standing in front at her sneered, getting as close to her as possible before yanking on a fistful of her hair. From what Nancy knew, the two men were business partners and thought they owned every working girl in London, they certainly hadn't listened when Nancy had insisted she wasn't working in that trade that evening.

"Filthy little whore, ain't she, John?" The man that had her pinned sneered, turning his head to look at the man who was clearing fiddling to unbuckle his belt. Once again, Nancy screamed and tried to get free from the hold keeping her in place.

"Aye Peter, but she ain't gonna be able to walk in a minute, London ain't got time for a whore that can't walk."

John laughed, stepping closer to his friend so that he could hike up the skirts of Nancy's dress. He pressed his face closer to Nancy's and licked her cheek with a sinister smirk clearly meant to inform her further of his bad intentions.

"Hurry up," Peter urged, wanting for John to start and finish up his business with the girl so that he could start his own. With Peter breaking his focus from Nancy's face, John laughed and slid one hand under Nancy's dress, running it higher until he reached her thigh.

"A whore that ain't dripping wet? You ain't much use, are you, love?"

The two men were so caught up in their terrible act that they did not hear the sound of heavy footsteps making their way down the alley and they certainly did not notice when the gentlemen stopped dead behind the both of them. But Nancy most definitely did.

John was clubbed over the head with some sort of cane and as Peter turned, loosening his grip on Nancy as he did so, he was punched in the nose so swiftly by the gentlemen that he had absolutely no time to recognise who it was in front of him. Peter staggered away from the wall, in the opposite direction to where John lay, clutching at his nose and swearing under his breath.

"Now, really boys, that's no way to treat a lady…" The gentleman growled, his features darkening as Peter raised his gaze high enough to recognise exactly who he was and immediately his cursing stopped.

"Bill, listen, it was John's idea… no hard feelings, eh? Come on, mate…"

"Get movin' or I'll break your legs." Bill growled, and Peter certainly didn't need to be told twice. He picked his friend up from the cobbles and set off at a quick pace back down the alley, an arm slung around John's shoulders to keep him upright.

Nancy flattened herself back against the wall as she adjusted her dress, trying to compose herself as best she could in front of the man standing so closely in front of her. She wiped blood away from her mouth with the back of her hand then tried to fix her hair, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on her saviour.

"Bill Sikes? … You don't look anything like I'd imagined…" Came the still shaken murmur.

"Fagin talk a lot about me, does he?" Bill asked, a mocking sort of sneer directed toward Nancy but surely not meant for her.

"Everyone talks a lot about you, you're Bill Sikes… They're all shitless scared of you."

Bill chuckled, taking a step closer to Nancy. "They have good right to be shitless scared of me."

He reached up and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of his coat, but was well aware the wound was due to get worse before it got any better.

"I'm Nancy."

"I know who you are. Everyone talks a lot about you, too."

Feeling herself start to get her confidence back just a little in front of this man, Nancy raised her eyebrow, watching his hand lower back to his side before returning her gaze to study his face under the brown hat. His eyes were so dark and he was somewhat handsome in a very rough and unconventional way, yet he was taller than she had expected. If she were to be truthful, she had half expected a skinny young man who talked a good talk but couldn't really back it up. Fagin was hardly hard to scare and Bill definitely had him running terrified.

"What'd they say?" She asked, taking a step away from the wall, although she hadn't done so necessarily to end up closer to him.

Bill merely smirked at her, giving her an idea of what the men talked about when they mentioned her name. She was quickly becoming known more as a prostitute than she was as a pickpocket and it was a little annoying.

"I think I owe you a thank you, Mister Sikes, for comin' to my rescue like that."

Bill shook his head, "Couldn't stand the thought of men like that touching my girl."

"Who says I'm your girl? I only met you a few minutes ago." Nancy replied stubbornly, giving him a rather puzzled look.

Bill leaned forward, tucking a few strands of her behind Nancy's ear before he stepped away from her entirely. He knew a lot about Nancy, had heard many talk about her and about her special 'talents' but he had never had the pleasure of meeting her, not face to face.

Whether he had planned a smart response or not, Bill's attention was stolen by a boy of about seven running down the alley with a puppy running beside him on a leash.

"Bill! They got 'im, ain't they? Ronnie! 'E got 'imself caught, little git! I-"

The boy was cut off as Bill clamped his hand over the child's mouth, staring down at him with a harsh gaze.

"Now Tommy, we don't want to be talkin' business in front of the lady, do we?"

Tommy gulped, shaking his head quickly from behind Bill's hand. Once the hand was taken away, Tommy flashed a cheeky smile to Nancy and pretended to tip his hat to her.

"Evenin', Miss!"

Nancy smiled at the young boy, just a little surprised that she didn't recognise him as being one of Fagin's lot.

"Enough of the introductions, I think we had better get going Tommy. Go on."

Bill nodded toward the direction in which Tommy had arrived and the boy dutifully began walking, the puppy resuming walking at his side.

"Will I be seeing you around, then? I ought to buy you a drink… what with you savin' me from those men an' all."

Bill turned back to Nancy and tilted his head ever so slightly to the left, his eyes taking in her full appearance before he cared to answer her.

"We'll see, darlin'. We'll see."

Nancy watched the man stride after the young boy, the puppy running to Bill's side as soon as his master became close enough, until Nancy could no longer see the three figures and she was left alone in the alley. Rather than getting back to the pub or even back to the main street, Nancy stayed silently in the alley for minutes after Bill had left her, only looking up when she heard heels running down the cobbles.

"There you are! I've had Fagin's boys searching all night for you, Nance!"

Bet quickly appeared at Nancy's side, clutching at her friends arm as she studied Nancy's face.

"What happened? Who did that to your face?" She asked, reaching up to touch Nancy's swollen lips.

Nancy quickly turned her face away from her best friend and stepped away, "Nobody, nothin' happened. Just a couple of drunks trying their luck, that's all. Don't worry yourself over nothin'."

Bet frowned, standing for a moment while she considered this response before she grabbed hold of Nancy's wrist and began to lead her back down the alley.

"We had better be getting back, I need to tell Fagin that you're alright now. The boys have been searching for you Nance, I was so worried! And you can tell me what really happened on the way! Don't give me all of this 'nothing' bollocks."

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AN/

My first Oliver fic, so I do hope I didn't do too badly. I have a few more chapters planned as the relationship between Bill and Nancy has always intrigued me. But this was my take on how the two of them had any real connection. Perhaps be a dear and let me know what you thought but mostly, thanks for reading.

- Napo.


	2. I'll Do Anything

Title- He Ain't That Bad, Really

Summary- A look at Bill and Nancy's relationship from their first ever meeting to the day the two of them met Oliver. Surely Bill Sikes wasn't always the cold hearted man he appears to be in public?

Rating- T

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

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Chapter 2- I'll Do Anything

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"_What's the good of cryin'? _

_She's made a bed to lie in _

_She's glad to bring the coin in, _

_And join in this song!"_

Nancy smiled widely as the occupants of the Three Cripples tavern all raised their drinks, grins on their faces and joined in the song with her. It was a song she sometimes took to singing to liven the spirits of herself and everybody in the tavern if she or Bet felt it was necessary. She and Bet were currently in high spirits, making their way around the tavern, interacting with their customers and even engaging in a bit of dancing here and there for the viewing pleasure of the gentleman.

"_Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah!T hat's how it goes!"_

"_Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah! Everyone knows!"_

The feeling in the tavern was especially high and the manager felt extremely pleased about this. He had hired Nancy just two months ago and Bet only three weeks ago yet the two young ladies were proving to be an absolute success. As an older man, Robert had been running the tavern long enough to know when a young girl had a good heart and Nancy was definitely one of those girls. Sure, Robert knew about her business with Fagin and what she got up to on the side, but he could see that she had a kind heart really and he especially didn't want to lose her from his business when custom was booming as of late!

However, the song only continued for another verse and a few lines of a chorus when the atmosphere took a significant turn for the worst and the song came to an abrupt stop for all occupants of the tavern.

Bill Sikes let the door slam closed behind him, Bullseye wandering beside his master without letting the amount of people around him bother him in the slightest.

"Oh don't stop on my account…" Bill sneered, sauntering toward the bar.

In their seats, customers turned toward their tables to face each other but nobody dared start a conversation just yet. Bill Sikes had a habit of commanding attention without needing to ask; every person in the tavern knew what would become of them if they made one wrong move with Bill around.

Bill smirked and took a seat at the bar, causing a few uncomfortable men to bow their heads just enough to avoid possible eye contact. Robert was used to dealing with him by now but he kept in mind to tread carefully, Bill would take any opportunity to pick a fight and if he wasn't given one he'd make one up.

"Ale, Mr Sikes?" Robert asked, taking a dirty rag from the counter to start wiping down a mug to pour a drink for Bill.

Bill nodded, but his gaze was resting on Nancy who had followed Bet back behind the bar and was standing quietly, trying not to look at him so openly as she hadn't seen him since the incident in the alley.

"Hello Nancy," He greeted casually, although Bill smirked as though he and Nancy had some form of secret between them. Which in reality, they did.

"Nance, I need a few bottles from the back, go and bring them in for me. Go on, we can cope in here for a few minutes without you."

Robert offered Nancy a reassuring smile, then turned back to Bill as the girl walked off through to the back room. Rumours had been circling all week that Bill had his eye on Nancy and wasn't to be put off by anyone, Robert had been hoping that the rumours were just mindless gossip but from the way Bill had been looking at her it appeared the rumours were correct.

Bill frowned as his drink was passed over by the old manager and rather than taking the mug, he held onto Robert's wrist to the man was bent over in the counter in Bill's favour.

"You wouldn't be sendin' her away for my benefit now would you, eh Rob?"

The old manager cleared his throat quietly, raising an uncomfortable gaze to look at Bill who was glaring quite fiercely from beneath his hat although he hadn't raised his voice passed a standard whisper.

"She's a good girl, Bill, she don't need the likes of you running after her.." Robert said quietly in as nice a tone as he could manage.

Bill tightened his hold on Robert's wrist until the man's face contorted in pain before he flopped his wrist back toward Robert's chest and casually downed his ale in an expertly quick time.

"Interested in her yourself?" Bill asked, putting the mug down on the counter in front of Robert.

He slowly reached up and took off his hat, setting it down on the one empty stool next to him since the gentleman last sitting there had quickly made his excuses and left the tavern as fast as he could.

Robert quickly shook his head, "She's like a daughter to me, is all." He clarified.

Bill thought on this for a moment, then he nodded and stepped down from his stool. "Bullseye, stay." He commanded, looking down at the puppy who had laid down anyway and wasn't looking as though he would move even if he had been asked to do so.

Bill Sikes moved behind the bar, side stepping Bet with a smirk directed in her direction before he moved toward the entrance to the back room. Robert quickly intercepted him, resting one hand on the doorframe so Bill couldn't pass.

"Staff only, Mister Sikes…" He reminded the other man.

"Move." Was the growled reply.

"Mister Sikes, you ain't under my employment and you don't-"

Mid-way through the sentence, Bill had pushed his way passed and strode straight through to the back room, leaving Robert to quietly complain to Bet about the ignorance of some people in the city.

Steadying bottles on a tray whilst kneeling on the ground, Nancy sighed when she heard heavy footsteps coming down to the yard from the back room and called to tell Robert that she wouldn't be another moment.

"Avoiding me or something? That's hardly any way to thank me for stepping in like I did." Bill drawled, resting in the doorway as he watched Nancy scramble to her feet, leaving the tray on the floor with the task in hand forgotten.

"I offered to thank you for what you did Mister Sikes and over a week has passed without you coming by, so consider the offer off the table."

Bill chuckled and descended the few steps so he stood in the yard a short distance from Nancy. She was facing him now with her hands on her hips and Bill could hardly stop himself from acknowledging how good she looked all made up.

"Then I'll make another offer; come for a drink with me tomorrow night, meet me outside of this tavern at seven."

Nancy frowned at him, "Takin' me to my own place of work on my night off on a date? You really know how to charm a lady, Mister Sikes…"

Bill quickly shook his head, "I'm not bringing you here, I'll take you somewhere else. Is that a yes?"

Nancy remained still for a few moments, quietly staring at the man while she took in his offer. She didn't date many men; that came with the nature of her job but dating Bill Sikes seemed crazier than dating one of the creeps that she serviced for money. He didn't really seem like the dating type either.

"I'm working tomorrow, Bill…" She stated, then leaned down to pick up the tray.

"You just said it was your night off."

"I lied." Nancy carried the tray to the steps, quirking her eyebrows when Bill did not move to the side, just remained in her way.

"Mister Sikes…"

"Why won't you come?" Bill grunted, frowning at her.

"Because, I don't think anyone 'round here would be wise to be out with Bill Sikes. And I'm working!"

As his frown turned into a scowl at her, Bill picked one of the bottles from the tray and put it behind his back.

"Mister Sikes… you're being childish now."

_Smash. _Bill had dropped the bottle and it had smashed all over the first step.

"Come out with me, Nancy."

"No!" Nancy growled, but growled even more so when Bill backed up onto the next step and swiped another bottle.

"Nancy…" He smirked.

She didn't reply and he let the next bottle smash onto the second step, wasting good quality gin in Nancy's opinion!

As he reached for the third bottle, Nancy tried to grab it from him but he was far too quick and ended up dropping the alcohol right next to her shoes, possibly without even planning to do so.

"Alright then! You arrogant git! I'll come out with you!" She exclaimed angrily, "Now move!"

Calmly, Bill moved to the right side of the second step and let Nancy pass him as she headed back inside. He stayed there for a minute or so then returned to the inside of the tavern with a particularly smug smirk on his face, but as he walked through he was passed by an annoyed looking Bet who had been ordered outside to clean up his mess.

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AN/

I'm am certainly going to continue this! It does sometimes just take me some time to make updates and finish off chapters. Nancy/Bill is a particular favourite dysfunctional pairing of mine, I definitely feel I want to keep exploring their relationship.

- Napo.


	3. First Date

Title- He Ain't That Bad, Really

Summary- A look at Bill and Nancy's relationship from their first ever meeting to the day the two of them met Oliver. Surely Bill Sikes wasn't always the cold hearted man he appears to be in public?

Rating- T

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

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Chapter 3- First Date

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"_Nance, if you don't want to go, then don't!" Bet had insisted, standing in front of Nancy outside of the tavern at 6:50pm while Nancy waited for Bill to arrive._

_The topic of their conversation for most of the day had been about her date with Bill, or to be more specific, Bet's disapproval of the date. Fagin had given his opinion too when Bet had told him, which also didn't sit in the favour of Nancy's decision. But Nancy didn't care all too much; in her mind, she would have one drink with Bill then leave, since that was what had been asked of her. One drink._

"_Bet, I'll be fine, honestly. I ain't incapable of looking after myself, stop worrying."_

"_I'm just looking out for you, we all know what he's like!"_

_Nancy had rolled her eyes and given her friend a kiss on the cheek, choosing to end the argument there as it was becoming rather boring to listen to. Nancy had heard far too much about what Bill Sikes was like, she wasn't expecting a gentleman, but she was intrigued as to what Bill saw in her._

Therefore Nancy had gone off with Bill when he had arrived to get her, five minutes late she had noted, and kept mentioning every so often to keep him on his toes. He took her to a pub not too far away and bought her the one drink she had decided to stay for.

"So, Mister Sikes, how long have you and Fagin known each other?"

Bill smirked from across the table at Nancy, "Long enough." He answered.

Nancy had known Fagin for long enough also and Bill's name had often floated around, but it was only recently that she had heard in great deal about his particular reputation. Still, she couldn't really work him out and that was ultimately what kept her in his company for far longer than one drink.

"He doesn't think much to me going out with you tonight," Nancy teased, but figured he knew this already.

Bill took a drink of ale but didn't react passed the slight quirk of an eyebrow, he was calmly studying the woman sitting opposite to him, considering her choice of dress and how she had done her hair with regards to knowing she would be going on a date.

Bill couldn't say he knew much about women; but he knew a lot about prostitutes. Tonight Nancy wasn't dressed like a prostitute, in fact she looked rather respectable. She was wearing a dark red dress that suited her and showed off enough of her bosom to capture Bill's attention, and her hair was mostly out of her face.

"A lot of people say that you're trouble, Mister Sikes, and that I shouldn't be mixing with you." Nancy continued, giving him sly smile to try and challenge him into a response.

But no answer came, Bill just continued to look at her from beneath his hat with a rather passive expression, almost as though he didn't really care about whatever she had to say.

"Well I happen to like trouble," Nancy eventually stated idly, looking passed the man in front of her toward the bar. She herself was trouble; Bill Sikes did not scare her, no matter what everyone seemed to think.

This comment seemed to capture Bill's interest and after another short period of silence, he spoke again. Nancy hadn't expected him to be a man of many words, but when he did speak to her, she found she was automatically drawn in to what he was saying.

"Opinions don't matter much to me Nancy, not as long as people pay up on time and don't make the mistake of crossing me. Fagin is just sore that he has to pass on the valuables those boys bring back."

Bill hadn't had too many problems with Fagin, ultimately the greedy thief would pay up, it sometimes just took a little bit of force on Bill's part. But when it came to Nancy, Bill could see quite a potential in her, she was already earning a decent sum of money.

"So what does matter to you, Mister Sikes? Apart from money?"

Nancy sipped her drink while waiting for Bill to answer, looking over at him with her head slightly tipped toward the left. When he wanted to, he was impossible to read, but sometimes he gave away a slight edge to what he was thinking with a twitch of his lips or a change in the way he was looking at her.

Now he was smirking, allowing her to see that he wasn't going to take the question seriously even if it had been meant that way, and he drank the rest of his ale with his gaze resting on hers.

"It matters to me that we're in need of more drinks, Nance." He told her calmly, then stood up and strode off to the bar to order two more of the same. While he was waiting at the bar, he glanced over and they both shared the same smirk before both looking away.

When he returned, Bill passed over her drink before sitting back down. He put his hat down on the table and leaned back in the chair, looking slightly more at ease since things seemed to be going quite well in his opinion.

"Why did you ask me out tonight, Mister Sikes?"

Bill's gaze flickered to Nancy as a scowl formed on his face, not entirely pleased with her choice of question. He had thought it was obvious why he had wanted to go out with her; he had some hidden reasons, but the biggest was quite easy to pick out.

"What man doesn't want to go out with a gorgeous woman?" He questioned.

Nancy sighed, "You wanted to go out with me 'cause I'm attractive? You could have paid like every other man and you would have gotten a lot more than a few drinks, Mister Sikes, if looks is what you're after."

Bill narrowed his eyes at her as he took a swig of ale, then sat forward in his chair and stared directly at Nancy, looking as serious as he often did.

"Not just your looks." He grunted, taking another swig before he set the bottle down on the table.

While she was waiting for him to elaborate, Bill settled back again and folded his arms across his chest. His mind was ticking over all of the reasons he had asked Nancy out and choosing the best one, whether he thought she would believe it or not.

"Reckon we'd be good together, you and me. You would be better off working for me than Fagin, he's all talk Nancy."

Nancy frowned at him and raised her eyebrows, "You want me to… what? Work for you?" Quickly, Nancy grew annoyed at him, or more so at herself for agreeing to come out with such an ignorant man.

"I happen to like where I'm at now, Mister Sikes! And I assure you, I wouldn't work for you even if working for Fagin required prison time!"

She glared at him as she stood up, then she walked out of the pub, feeling like she needed to be away from him to calm down in case her stubbornness got her into more trouble.

While Nancy leaned against a wall in a nearby alley, Bill soon came looking and stopped when he was in front of her, his hands resting in his trouser pockets.

"That temper sneaks up on you, doesn't it?" He commented blandly, looking down at Nancy who refused to look back.

"Go away, Bill…"

"So it's Bill now? You embarrass me in front of the whole pub, storm out on me and now it's Bill?"

He grabbed hold of her chin and forced her head up to look at him, his eyes burning into hers with a look of anger.

"Don't ever make a fool out of me, Nancy. I told you, it's not wise to cross me." He warned, his voice having lowered considerably from his earlier tone.

"I won't be bought, Bill… I won't be sucked into whatever it is you're expecting of me…" She said quietly.

Nancy blinked up at the man who was still holding her chin, every so often trying to edge her head back to put some more distance between them.

"I wasn't trying to embarrass you in there." She added honestly.

Bill continued to glare down at her for a while, then his facial expression softened and he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Don't you do that again." Bill growled at her, then he stepped back and let go of her face.

"Now, let's go back inside so I can explain a few things," He decided, his tone still fairly hard and commanding.

"This evening isn't going to be ruined by your inability to see sense."

Bill flashed an arrogant smirk, then strode off, merely expecting her to follow his lead.

* * *

AN/

I figured that Bill had to do something to plant the seed in Nancy's mind to leave Fagin's little group before they were actually a couple, even if she wasn't happy about the thought. Anyhow, I love hearing that you guys are enjoying this, the fourth chapter will be up shortly!

- Napo.


	4. As Good As She Gets

Title- He Ain't That Bad, Really

Summary- A look at Bill and Nancy's relationship from their first ever meeting to the day the two of them met Oliver. Surely Bill Sikes wasn't always the cold hearted man he appears to be in public?

Rating- T

Disclaimer- I own nothing, I think we all know this by now.

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Chapter 4- As Good As She Gets

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For two and a half hours Nancy had been doing her very best to avoid Bill Sikes as she moved around the tavern and for two and a half hours she had been doing a fantastic job of it.

Bill was sitting in the corner table furthest from the door with a pretty brunette and another man, all three apparently deep in quiet conversation. Despite this, Bill had made attempts to catch Nancy's eye all evening and all night she had ignored him.

Why, you may ask?

Because Bill had entered the tavern with the brunette and the man had joined them half an hour later.

For a half an hour the brunette had flirted shamelessly with her companion and Bill had done nothing but encourage it. Although Nancy had only gone for drinks twice more with Bill after their first official 'date' she still found it inappropriate for him to be flirting with another woman, and in front of her no less! In Nancy's opinion, when a man was taking a woman out on dates, that man shouldn't be seeing other women. But in Bill's opinion, that rule wasn't valid.

So Nancy had resolved to make Bill jealous.

Not only was she ignoring Bill, she had picked a regular customer she knew that liked her and had begun flirting with him an hour earlier. He also happened to be a regular customer outside of her work in the tavern, which made the situation a little more interesting. In fact, he'd already propositioned they go outside and she take a ten minute break from working!

"Any other drinks, m'dears?" Nancy asked, pointedly looking at the gentleman sitting opposite Bill and the female as she arrived at their table to collect empty bottles.

The man sitting with Bill was none other than Fagin, who regarded Nancy with some warmth as he ordered another round of drinks, making it clear that Bill was paying as he did so. She knew Fagin to be a greedy and rather cold man, but she happened to be one of his favourites and had gotten him wrapped around her little finger years ago.

While Fagin was talking, David, the man Nancy had devoted her attention to for the passed hour, came up behind her and slipped an arm around her waist.

"Let me buy you that drink now, gorgeous? Surely they can spare you for a few minutes?" He chuckled into her ear before lightly kissing the exposed base of her neck.

"David, I told you I'm busy… go and sit down, I'll bring you another drink." Nancy responded, although as she took his arm from her waist and turned to face him, she pressed her chest lightly into his and leaned up to whisper something in his ear.

Her words to David were unheard by Bill, but judging by David's reaction whatever Nancy had said would have displeased Bill greatly anyway. David quickly followed Nancy to the bar, walking far too closely with her for Bill's liking.

For the next hour, Bill simply couldn't concentrate on Fagin's excuses for his late payment. Usually he loved nothing more than threatening and terrifying Fagin, but he was too busy watching Nancy's interactions with David to gain any enjoyment from making Fagin squirm. Every time that man got close to her Bill wanted to break a bottle over his head.

Without guessing that Nancy was only all over David to make him jealous, Bill turned up his level of flirting with the pretty woman beside him, even taking to kissing her at one point. He certainly wasn't going to be humiliated by Nancy.

It wasn't until Nancy came to the end of her shift two hours later that Bill finally admitted defeat on the matter. Fagin had long since left and Bill was left on his own with his companion, even though his attention was still captured by Nancy.

David had followed Nancy outside, arm in arm and Bill decided that he simply couldn't allow whatever was going to happen happen. Without even offering an explanation as to where he was going, Bill grabbed his hat and strode outside after the couple.

He found the two in a nearby alley. The couple were just kissing, with Nancy pressed against the wall, but as soon as his presence was felt the two pulled away.

"Uh, you want something, mate?" David asked, squinting at Bill in the darkness.

"Come on," Bill growled, grabbing hold of Nancy's arm to tug her toward him rather than remaining with David. He didn't want to have to see her touching that man any longer.

"Bill," Nancy complained, but effectively allowed herself to be dragged away from David, who was whining about having paid fair and square, and back into the street.

"What're you playing at, eh?" Bill snapped, striding forward while Nancy hurried to keep up with him. She really didn't see why he was in such a bad mood; the whole night had been down to him, after all.

"I'm not the one that started it!" Nancy argued, "If you're going to be all over that little tart then I'm entitled to have some fun of my own, Bill!"

"Not while you're with me you're not, Nancy! I was gunna kill him, you understand me? If he'd have done much more with you he wouldn't be breathing right now and that would have been your fault!"

Nancy finally stopped walking, wrenching free of Bill's grasp. He also stopped, turning back to look at her from under his hat.

"And if you're with me you don't flirt with other women, Bill! We aren't together though and after tonight we won't be, I'm done with you Mister Sikes, you do my bloody head in!"

"Well you ain't a walk in the park either, Nancy." Bill shot back, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets.

"Then leave me alone! Christ! I didn't even want to go out with you in the first place, in fact I still don't! You're an awful man, I don't know why I thought differently!" Nancy raged, stepping closer to Bill so that she could stare up into his eyes.

"You're sullen and just all out bad! It's no wonder that nobody likes you, Mister Sikes, I don't blame them one bit! And at least Fagin isn't a bully like you are, he still has some-"

A stinging slap to her face caused Nancy's rant to end, she stood clutching her cheek in shock for a couple of moments before Bill spoke to her.

"You done?"

Without waiting for an answer, Bill coiled an arm around her and pulled her close, planting a rough kiss to her lips despite what he had just done.

Nancy still couldn't think straight after the slap; but once Bill was kissing her Nancy's initial response was to pull away and slap his face as hard as she could. Payback for how red her cheek had become.

"You're a bastard." She spat at him, but was once again drawn in for another kiss, one she didn't break.

Instead, Nancy wrapped her arms around Bill's neck and let him pull her tightly against him, allowing her heart to rule her head for once.

While Nancy hadn't expected him to hit her and while it had startled her more than she showed, she felt that with him she gave almost as good as she got. He was a challenge; a bully to everyone else, but she was sure that with a little time he wouldn't care to raise his hand to her again.

When the two pulled away finally, Nancy still had her arms around his neck.

"I didn't think you were the jealous type, Mister Sikes." She purred.

* * *

AN/

We've skipped two weeks from the date, so only a little bit of time has passed. I'm personally not crazy about this chapter, but after trying my best to think up another way to play it, I gave up and admitted defeat on this one.

- Napo.


End file.
